Looking to reap the benefits of the best kneeling chairs now that you're mostly working from home?
You've come to the right spot! In this article, we'll cover:
- The top 5 best kneeling chairs of 2021
- The benefits of kneeling chair
- Things to consider when investing in a kneeling chair for your office
Let's dive right in!
Best Kneeling Chairs
Kneeling Chair Benefits
So, why bother buying a kneeling chair at all? Glad you asked!
Kneeling chairs have an amazing amount of benefits, which are both anecdotally and scientifically proven.
Posture
Probably the biggest thing that kneeling chairs are known to help with is posture. The vast majority of people who work a job that requires them to sit down struggle with their posture.
Poor posture has been linked to pain, back problems, and even digestive issues. When your posture isn’t right and you’re sitting the same way in a chair all day everyday, this can lead to serious medical problems.
While it is possible to still have a poor posture while using a kneeling chair, the way a kneeling chair is set up means that it would be incredibly painful not to maintain a proper posture.
The whole point of a kneeling chair - the reason it was invented - was to take the pressure off of your lower back, as is the case with most regular chairs, and instead ensure that your core muscles are holding you up.
The reason this happens is because it pushes forward your pelvis to be directly under your head and shoulders, evenly distributing the pressure throughout your body.
It also reduces neck pressure by creating the correct spinal alignment.
Read More >> Are Kneeling Chairs Good For Posture?
Digestion
By bettering your posture, you also improve your digestion abilities quite significantly. Studies have shown that by having good posture, especially throughout the work day, you greatly increase your body’s ability to process food.
Having poor posture has been linked to incontinence and heartburn, and these things are greatly improved when your body adopts the proper alignment to allow digestion to happen.
Your organs are no longer struggling to pass food from one to another as they are functioning in their correct position.
Back Pain and Joint Pain
Because kneeling chairs are designed to increase posture, this ultimately takes pressure off of your back and focuses on strengthening your muscles instead of relying on the spine.
This release of pressure means that people who use a kneeling chair experience a great relief in pain symptoms when they switch to this type of chair. The same applies for neck pain, and even joint pain.
Because your legs are underneath you rather than aligned with your waist, blood can flow better and your muscles and joints get an opportunity to be strengthened.
This means that many people see a decrease in knee joint pain when they start using a kneeling chair.
Increased Focus
Most users of a kneeling chair report having much better focus, and thus a higher level of productivity. This is primarily because they experience much less pain and aching throughout the day, compared with when they use a regular office chair.
Pain, aches, and digestive issues can all distract you from getting your work done, so when those things are improved, your focus will definitely go up.
Beyond this, even if you weren’t experiencing any of these health issues beforehand, a kneeling chair forces you to remain alert and reduces your chances of getting sleepy, which encourages productivity.
Read More >>Why Are Kneeling Chairs Good for You?
Things to Consider When Buying The Best Kneeling Chairs
As we’ve just discovered, kneeling chairs are great for a wide variety of reasons, but there are a few things to consider or keep your eye on when you’re in the market for one.
Replicas
Especially if you buy through Amazon, you may encounter many brands that are made poorly as replicas of the original designs.
These brands won’t manufacture their products in accordance with the proper measurements recommended for a kneeling chair in order for it to do its jobs of posture support and reducing pressure on your body.
This means that they might actually end up causing you more damage than good!
Be especially wary of kneeling chairs that are very cheap, have no reviews, or have poor reviews.
Reviews - genuine ones, that is - are always the best way to determine whether a product is going to be good for you. Here's a short video explaining the differences between cheap and expensive kneeling chairs:
Dimensions
You’ll also want to always read the product description to ensure that the materials and dimensions are listed so that you can measure them before buying.
It might turn out that the dimensions aren’t right for a person of your size, or it won’t fit in the space that you have.
Read More >> Kneeling Chair Desk Height: What’s Best for You?
Is a Kneeling Chair Right For You?
Another thing to consider is whether a kneeling chair is right for you. For many people, it’s a great way to correct your posture and relieve some pressure on your body - especially if you’re sitting down for long periods of time during the day.
But, if you’re a heavier weight, have bodily injuries, or specific problems with your knee joints, then a kneeling chair might not be the right option for you. There are plenty of other supportive chairs out there to explore.
Flooring and Kneeling Chairs
A final point to consider if you’re trying to choose between kneeling chairs is the material that they will sit upon. If it will be sat on carpet yet you’re looking at one with casters, you might want to rethink your choice, as the casters will probably dent your carpet significantly.
The wooden models, however, aren’t generally ideal for wooden or hard floors, as they can scratch the surface.
You could use soft tape or furniture pads to counteract this, though sometimes these things can throw off the balance of the chair and ultimately defeat some of the point of a kneeling chair!
Top 5 Best Kneeling Chairs
#1 EMMA + OLIVER Mobile Wooden Ergonomic Kneeling Office Chair
- Wake up those core muscles and let them work as long as you do with this ergonomic kneeling office chair.
- [_Our chair conforms to ANSI/BIFMA standard X5.1-17_] Black fabric upholstered seat and knee rest padded with CAL 117 fire retardant foam
This is our #1 favorite kneeling chair for a reason. This chair is the perfect all-rounder - it's on the cheaper end of the kneeling chair market, but also looks like a beautiful piece of home office furniture.
The EMMA + OLIVER model combats this perfectly by using natural wood and upholstered seating to look modern and minimalist.
This model has been in production for over 20 years, and has pretty much exclusively 5-star reviews on Amazon and its home website. It has been properly tested and meets the ANSI/BIFMA standard X5.1-17 safety requirements for office chairs.
It features dual wheel casters so it can easily be moved around, and an easily adjustable frame for different heights.
The kneeling chair also comes in a couple different colors to suit different tastes and interior designs.
#2 YAHEETECH Adjustable Work Desk Stool Ergonomic Home Office Kneeling Chair
- 【ERGONOMIC KNEELING CHAIR】: This ergonomic kneeling chair is thoughtfully designed to balance and relief the pressure on each body part, especially reducing the upper body pressure on our pelvis. An ergonomic design makes your wight evenly distributed. The maximum load capacity is up to 100kg/220lb, very durable and sturdy to use.
- 【POSTURE CORRECTIVE SEAT】: Our adjustable stool come with angled seat and an extra cushion to put your knees on. It changes our regular sitting position into a biologically beneficial posture. This posture corrective seat is capable to improve your breathing and digestion while sitting. Angled seat also brings a better blood circulation.
Looking to better your posture on a budget? This is your new best friend!
The best rated kneeling chair in its price range, this Yaheetech model is made from strong steel and durable faux leather padding, all in a black finish.
It has 4 casters for easy movement while using, and the height can easily be adjusted.
This strong model can carry up to 220 lbs and measures 18.19 x 26.57 x 19.09 inches. It’s easily assembled with simple instructions, making it ideal for anyone who hates building furniture!
This model averages 4.2 stars on Amazon, making it a reliable yet cheap option for those of you looking to buy a kneeling chair on a budget.
#3 Varier Variable Balans Original Kneeling Chair
- The ONLY original kneeling chair designed by Peter Opsvik in 1979, an instantly recognizable design icon
- It is lightweight and can easily be moved around. Variable is intended for use with standard height desks
If you’re after something a little bit fancier than our previous options, we think this is your perfect match. This is the original, first-ever designed kneeling chair by Peter Opsvik in 1979.
The Varier Variable is thus probably the best kneeling chairs on the market, as its dimensions are made in accordance with Opsvik’s original design based on scientific study.
The bases of these chairs are made with ash colored plywood - they do offer a black ash, too. The fabric is made from high-quality PET, and the foam inside the cushions is extremely flame retardant.
The Variable cushions come in multiple different colors, from turquoise to deep red, making it pretty customizable to match any home interior.
Varier also manufactures the ThatSit Balans, which is a kneeling chair with an integrated backrest.
#4 Birch Kneeling Chair from the Infant Shining Store
- ✅[Ergonomic Design] The use of kneeling chairs for teenagers can effectively prevent hunchback and myopia, correct and improve poor sitting posture, and promote better physical development. Adults use the kneeling chair to promote blood circulation and relieve neck pain and back pain caused by prolonged sitting.
- ✅[Natural Birch Material] This stool is made of birch heat bending process, and the wooden pieces are firmly connected. The unique curvature of the body takes into account the ups and downs of the human body during the manufacturing process, reducing the fatigue of sedentary sitting.
If you’re not satisfied with our top 3 picks for overall best kneeling chair, here are a couple more kneeling chairs that we love to get the ball rolling.
This is a perfect dupe of the original Opsvik Varier Variable kneeling chair - it features more or less the exact same design, with the exception of the sitting cushion being a slightly different shape.
The wood has a natural ash finish, much like the Varier Variable, though the cushions come either in green or grey.
They aren’t quite as pretty as the original Varier, but they’re a good alternative at well over half of the price!
It is made from natural birch and suitable for anyone ages 8-70, between 4'26"-6'23", and can carry up to 198 lbs. It contains the necessary instructions and tools for assembly, guaranteeing you’ll get it right the first time!
#5 VONOYA Kneeling Chair with Back Support
- ERGONOMIC DESIGN: This kneeling office chair has a sturdy steel frame able to support 200 lb.; more importantly, the innovative design improves your posture while training your balance and core to give you more energy and comfort through a long day working, studying, or playing online
- TPE WHEELS: These nimble casters move quickly, rolling easily around your home or office when it's time to check something or grab a snack; they also lock firmly once you're sure you're where you want to be
We also love this chair as another slightly lower-cost alternative to the Varier. This model is made entirely from black steel and faux leather padding, and sits on 4 casters for easy movement around the room.
What makes this model stand out is its inbuilt backrest and side support, which many of the other kneeling chairs reviewed in this article don’t have. This backrest adds another layer of lumbar support, which is especially important for people suffering from back problems.
Conclusion on The Best Kneeling Chairs
Our top five favorite kneeling chairs are the EMMA+OLIVER kneeling chair, the Yaheetech model for a cheap yet reliable option, and the original Varier Variable for a high-end, classy piece.
However, we also love the Vonoya and Birch Kneeling Chair as great runners-up; both are within a sensible price range and have unique qualities that make them worth being in your office.
Kneeling chairs are beneficial for many reasons - they can increase core strength, train you to take pressure off of your knee joints, better your posture, and help to decrease back pain.
Always consider the reliability of the products you’re buying from Amazon, as well as the dimensions of a kneeling chair, the type of flooring it’ll be sat on, and whether a kneeling chair is ideal for you.
They work wonders for people who are sitting down at their desk for 8+ hours a day, though it’s always recommended you check in with a physician if you’re seeking a kneeling chair as a remedy.
Last update on 2022-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
